His Family's Love
by Fire The Canon
Summary: Hugo starts a new job at the Ministry, doing what he loves. But when two people from Hogwarts, who made his life hell, come back into his life, how is he supposed to stand up to him, when they'd quite literally prefer him dead? WARNING: triggering themes of abuse.
_**This was written for the Months of the Year Challenge (March - write about someone standing up to injustice. Prompts: Marched, suit of armour)**_

* * *

 **His Family's Love**

Hugo stood nervously out the front of his uncle's office, waiting for Harry to magically see him and invite him in. How could his dad just leave him like this?

 _You'll be fine,_ he had said. _Harry's your uncle._ He'd then clapped him on the shoulder and vanished from the Auror office.

But Hugo couldn't treat Harry like his uncle in this situation; nor could Harry treat Hugo like his nephew. This was official business; he needed to prove to Harry that he was capable of being accepted into the Auror Training Program (or, ATP).

He'd received an Outstanding in his Charms N. E. W. Ts, and Exceeds Expectations in everything else but Transfiguration, which had been an Acceptable. Would that be enough? Wasn't it a requirement that one needed an O in Defence Against the Dark Arts to become an Auror?

"You just going to stand out there, mate?"

Hugo started at the sound of Harry's voice. He hadn't heard his uncle open his office door. He flushed.

Harry smiled. "Come in," he said, and he stepped aside to let Hugo in.

It wasn't much, really. A desk, a chair on either side of the desk, and a pile of parchment which was almost touching the roof.

Normal enough.

Hugo took the seat closest to the door and shifted uncomfortably. What was he supposed to tell Harry that he didn't already know? He was eighteen, just out of Hogwarts. His results had been good, and he wanted to be an Auror.

There was nothing else left to tell, really.

"Hugo."

"Yes?" His voice came out as a squeak, causing Harry to hide a smile.

Harry looked down at the application in front of him. "So, this is an interview that is hard for me to do, but I'm the only one apart from your father who's available. But I'll ask you the same questions as I've asked everybody else."

Hugo nodded, swallowing a rather large lump in his throat.

"What is your fitness level?"

"Er, I…."

 _Whatever you do, don't stammer, Hugo._ His mother's words came ringing back into his head, and he cleared his throat.

"Well, I wasn't ever a Quidditch player at school, though I could keep up with the likes. I wouldn't say I'm the fittest, but I'm not the most unfit, either."

Harry nodded.

"How do you see yourself as a trainee Auror?"

"Well, I'd obviously be under the watchful eye of my superiors for the three years it takes to be fully trained. I'd ask for advice, and listen to instructions where it's required. However, I wouldn't wait to be told _every_ little thing. If I see something that needs to be done, then I'd certainly take the initiative and do so."

Was that a lie? He wasn't exactly one to take initiative. Harry probably knew that.

The questions went on, Harry asking him from a long list he had written down. The interview took about forty-five minutes, for which by the end, Hugo had relaxed greatly. It wasn't so bad. He'd done well; he hadn't stammered, he'd answered each question to the best of his ability, and he had been honest. It was hard to lie to somebody who had known you since the day you were born.

"Thanks, Hugo," Harry said after he'd jotted some notes down. "You may go."

Hugo stood up, and hurried out of the office, only to be greeted by the eager eyes of his parents.

"How'd you go, Hu?" his mother asked.

Hugo shrugged. "Alright, I guess," he said.

His father clasped him on the back. "Well done, mate. I suppose, soon, we'll be working together, eh?"

Hugo smiled. "Hopefully."

The three of them left the department together, Hugo's parents waving a quick goodbye to Harry as they went.

Now that it was over, there was nothing left for Hugo to do. He just had to wait.

…

It was a week later when a Ministry owl arrived with a letter addressed to Hugo. He was sitting at the breakfast table with his parents and sister, still in pyjamas.

Everybody stopped what they were doing.

Hugo blushed.

"Well, go on," Rose insisted. She had already been accepted into the ATP two years ago, but as an Auror-Healer; a new position that had been instilled after the war.

Swallowing, Hugo slowly tore the envelope, not sure he wanted to know what it said. Disappointment, that's what it would be. He wasn't Auror material.

 _Dear Mr Hugo Weasley,_

 _We are sorry to inform you that you have not been accepted into our Auror Training Program. We have many applicants each year and only some can be accepted._

Hugo dared not look up at the expectant faces of his family.

 _However, your Charms results are among the highest we have ever seen at N. E. W. T level, and would instead like to offer you a position of Charms Advisor in the International Magical Trading Standards Body, in the Department of International Magical Cooperation._

 _This position entails knowledge of charms and other spells, studying uses and counter-charms for Muggle purposes, as well as creating and developing new charms which will be of use to future witches and wizards._

 _Please inform the department of your acceptance or rejection of offered position no later than forty-eight hours after receiving this letter._

 _Head of the International Magical Trading Standards Body,_

 _Borris Storm_

Hugo felt sick, but he wasn't sure why. Charms. He loved Charms, but apart from writing textbooks for school students, he had not seen a career out of it. Auror had been his next option.

He looked up.

"Hu?" his mother asked.

"I… I didn't get in."

Their faces were instantly one of pity. Every single one of them.

"No, it's okay," he said quickly, holding up the letter. "They're accepting me as a Charms Advisor in the Department of International Magical Cooperation. I get to work with charms, create charms, and study them further."

His mother smiled.

"I can't believe Harry didn't let you in," his father commented.

Hugo shrugged. "I was disappointed to begin with, but as I read down, I realised that being an Auror was more of a second choice for me, because I didn't see a future in working with charms. But now that I've been offered one, I don't need to be an Auror."

Despite his mother looking delighted, his father appeared disgruntled. He later heard them both in whispers, something about not understanding how Harry could reject his own nephew.

Hugo really didn't care, though. He replied as soon as he'd finished his breakfast, accepting his very first job offer. He started on Monday.

…

He was by far the youngest in his department. The others all wore glasses, were greying, and had quite rounded stomachs, which usually came with old age.

When he met with Borris Storm, his boss, however, he claimed that everybody was excited to have him on the team. They were all impressed by his Charms performance at Hogwarts, and saw a lot of potential from him.

The reassurance instantly made Hugo feel welcomed. He would do great here.

And then he learned of the names of some of the Aurors who _had_ been accepted into the program. There was Destiny Tippet, a girl he had shared a House with at school. She was a gentle soul, perhaps too timid to be an Auror, but lovely nonetheless. Two Hufflepuffs, a Slytherin, and a Ravenclaw as well.

And two school bullies. Hugo hadn't resented his uncle for not accepting him until now. _How_ could he think two people who had made his life a living hell for many years would be good Aurors. They would be more likely to turn on the Aurors than fight for them.

Knowing they were only a few offices away made him feel _sick_.

"Don't worry, Hu," Rose said to him when they had coffee together in the cafeteria. "I'll make sure they don't see you, or go near you." Only his sister knew how cruel they really were to him, for she had witnessed it first hand when they had actually tried using the Cruciatus Curse on him once.

"How?" Hugo asked miserably, staring into his mug of coffee. "They're bound to see me."

"Well, if they do, you're a Charms genius, remember? Hex them, or something."

Hugo sighed. The delight in finally doing what he wanted was soon dissipated by the arrival of two people who'd wish him dead before they so much as tried to help him.

And to make matters worse, his father actually thought they were the two best trainees.

"Locker probably needs some finesse training, but Goyle – surprisingly, given his parentage – has picked it up quicker than anybody. Must be from his mother's side."

Hugo felt sick to his stomach. So they wouldn't be chucking them out for poor performance anytime soon.

 _If only you knew,_ he found himself thinking, looking blankly up at his father. If only he knew the misery those guys had caused his son for most of his schooling life. Maybe his opinion of them would be different.

…

"Oi, Weasley, heard you didn't make it."

Hugo had managed to make it three weeks into his job without the bullies finding him. He had always gone to the cafeteria with his sister, or one of his parents; but today he was alone. They all had separate lunch breaks to him.

Locker was the bigger of the two, his hard-set shoulders and round face making him look menacing even from a distance. Goyle was no better, truthfully. They were both big and without wands, could pound Hugo into the ground in a second (and they'd certainly tried before).

Hugo's stomach turned upside down as they approached. The cafeteria was full of people – surely they wouldn't do anything to him now.

 _That didn't stop them last time,_ he reminded himself.

But last time wouldn't have cost them a position as an Auror.

"Wanna know why?" Locker asked, taking a seat opposite Hugo. Goyle sat beside him. "You didn't make it, even though your uncle and dad's there, because you're disgusting. Even they can't handle the likes of you." His voice was low enough that nobody would realise it wasn't a pleasant conversation going on.

Hugo didn't say anything.

"Still doing it, then?" Goyle asked. "Still being disgusting?"

Hugo tried to leave, but Locker held his legs with his own from under the table.

"Hm, probably shouldn't be touching you like that," he mused.

Hugo wanted nothing more than to be stronger. He wanted to be able to stand up to the bullies like his sister could. She was always the one defending him at school, and it always made them worse.

"You've had Mummy or Daddy around for the last three weeks, Weasley," Goyle said. "Scared of what might happen, eh?"

This time Hugo managed to wrench himself free of Locker.

"Not here to protect you today, Weasley," Locker hissed as Hugo stood this time. "We'll find you, and when we do, Mummy and Daddy will be planning your funeral. Can't have your lot wandering these halls."

Hugo left the cafeteria as fast as he could. He'd have to have lunch in his department from now on. They wouldn't be able to get in there.

…

"You okay, Hu?" Rose asked that evening. "You're awfully quiet."

Hugo turned his head to ensure his mother, who was busy with a pile of paper work in the kitchen, couldn't hear, and said, "They found me."

"What do you mean?" Rose asked, sitting straighter.

"They told me if they saw me again they'd… they'd kill me."

Rose was furious. "You've got to tell somebody, Hu," she said. "This has gone beyond bullying at school. They mean what they say. Tell Mum or Dad."

Hugo shook his head. "No, then I'll appear weak," he said.

"That's rubbish. They'll be horrified to find out what's been happening, and _why_ they're doing it. Mum and Dad love you for who you are. We all do. This can't go on. Not to mention what Uncle Harry would say if he learned of the type of people he accepted into the program."

But Hugo only shook his head again. "I'll just stay away from them," he said. "It's for the best."

…

Hugo hadn't appeared for lunch, and Rose was worried. He had promised to meet her in the cafeteria at midday, but hadn't showed. When she'd gone to find him – thinking he was scared to walk alone – the receptionist had told her that Hugo hadn't been seen for the last two hours. He'd been sent on an errand by his boss, but hadn't returned.

Rose marched straight to the Auror department.

"Dad!" She rushed into her uncle's office, where he was chatting with Uncle Harry. "Dad, it's Hugo!" she cried.

Her father looked at her, concern in his voice. "What about him?" he asked.

Rose hesitated just briefly. "Something's happened to him! Locker and Goyle – those guys in the training program – they've been bullying Hugo since they found out… well since he came out as being gay. They've done some pretty horrible things to him at school, and just yesterday they threatened to kill him if they found him again, and… and he's missing!" Tears were streaming down her face, and Harry and Ron were now on their feet.

"What?" Ron demanded.

"He's gone," Rose sobbed. "He's gone, and nobody knows where he is… and… and… we need to find him, Dad!"

Her father and uncle didn't need telling twice. Wands drawn, they hurried out of the office quicker than Rose had time to register. Taking out her own wand, she sprinted to catch up to them.

They were dashing down corridors, ignoring those who tried to stop to talk to them. Along the way, Rose's mother met them.

"What's going on?" she asked, noticing the panic on all three faces.

"It's Hugo," Rose told her, tears still streaming down her face.

"We fear he's in danger," Harry added.

Her mother drew her own wand, too, not bothering to ask any other questions.

They continued on.

And then it was Harry who stopped. "The courtrooms," he said. "They're empty today."

And so they turned and made their way to a lift, passing a moving suit of armour along the way. It followed them with its eyeless head, and then wished them luck in their brave journey. Its compliments went unheard.

The courtrooms were as Harry said; empty. Except for three young men.

The first was broad-shouldered and large. He had a wand out and was holding it over a skinny red-haired man. The red-haired one was being held down by a third man – as large and broad-shouldered as the first.

A blast then sent the first man flying. A second a moment later sent the other one.

A look of fury on his face, Ron ran to his son. Hugo had gashes all over his body. Some were shallow, but most were deep; the type that would eventually bleed him to death. He was only just conscious – enough to recognise the face of his father.

Ron lifted his head, cradling his frail son in his arms. He then looked around the courtroom. One of the men – Locker – had hit his head on a seat upon impact of the Stunning jinx. Goyle was lying sprawled on the floor.

 _Should've killed them,_ he found himself thinking. He'd never felt so angry before.

Harry was making his way up to Locker, and Hermione to Goyle. Rose was standing in the middle, tears streaming down her face.

Ron looked at her, his face pale. "Rosie, I need your help," he said, and he indicated Hugo.

Rose nodded, understanding. She was an Auror-Healer. It was her job to heal those injured from spells. This, though… this was her brother.

"Get up." Harry was roughly dragging Locker to his feet, who'd regained consciousness.

Locker was looking dazed, but he seemed to understand what was happening. If he was lucky, he'd be kicked out of the ATP, but most-likely he'd be appearing again in this very courtroom to try and avoid an Azkaban sentencing.

Hermione was drawing Goyle to his feet, who had also regained consciousness. Even she – _Hermione_ – seemed inclined to show little concern when his legs collapsed beneath him. She simply stood and waited, watching as he struggled to his feet.

"Dad?" Rose looked, tear-faced, up at her father. "He needs a hospital."

Ron only nodded. Hugo was breathing… just.

Rose summoned a stretcher, and together, she and Ron levitated Hugo onto it. Hermione and Harry each had one of Hugo's attackers, and they were magically bound by two of the most talented people the wizarding world had ever seen. They weren't going anywhere.

Once they were out of the courtrooms, they were greeted by Dean Thomas, another senior Auror. He looked sick at the sight of Hugo, but asked no questions. When Hermione asked him to take Goyle, he only nodded and marched with Harry in the direction of the Auror department.

Ron, Hermione and Rose continued with Hugo to the Ministry hospital wing.

…

Hugo awoke three days later in St Mungo's. Everything was a bit foggy to begin with, but as he blinked three faces came into vision. His sister, who was standing over him with a massive grin on her face; and then his mother, who looked relieved. The third was his father, who was sitting in an armchair a bit further away.

"Hi," he groaned.

"Oh, Hu!" Rose cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "You're okay." She planted a kiss on his cheek.

"Wh-what happened?" Hugo then asked. He didn't remember much about anything, really. Only that he'd tried to run from those men, but they'd found him. And then something about his father holding him. Nothing else.

But, from the look on everybody's faces, it mustn't have been good.

"All that matters is you're safe now, and nobody will hurt you again," his mother said gently, running her fingers through his hair.

Hugo nodded. There was no point in arguing now. He looked to his father, who was ashen-faced. "Dad?" he asked.

"Hey, mate," Ron said, forcing a smile.

Rose hugged him again, pressing her mouth to his ear. "Dad would've murdered them then and there had Mum and Uncle Harry not been with him," she said. "He was so angry and upset."

Hugo looked at her, bewildered. She grinned, nodding. He'd always thought his dad didn't know what to do about his sexuality. He hadn't disapproved, but it always seemed as if he didn't understand it, either. But now Rose said he'd been furious.

He moved his eyes back to Ron, who was trying his very best not to look too concerned.

Rose noticed. "Alright, well, I'm a bit hungry," she said. "Mum?"

His mother nodded, and the pair left Hugo and Ron alone.

"Dad?"

"Yeah, mate?"

"Thanks."

Ron nodded. "Well, when you see your son hurt, you're going to do anything you can to help."

"You are the last thing I remember," Hugo confessed, trying to sit up. This brought Ron out of his chair.

"Don't strain yourself," he said, gently forcing his son back to a lying position.

"You were there, and when they were about to… about to kill me, you sent them away."

"Yeah, why wouldn't I?"

Hugo shrugged, but it hurt. "I thought you didn't… care." He couldn't meet his father's eyes. He felt so ashamed now. He had always thought his dad didn't care about him, but he remembered enough of that day in the Ministry to know that wasn't true.

"What?" Ron's tone was neutral, as he stared at his son.

Hugo shrugged again, wincing. "When I… when I told you about who – who I was, I thought you didn't care."

"Of course I cared! You're my son. Why wouldn't I?"

Hugo shrugged for a third time, this time making a mental note to implement a shock system for the next time he tried it.

Ron sat in the chair that had previously been occupied by Hermione. "Listen, Hugo, I see a lot of me in you, but an improved me. I was a bit unsure of myself growing up, as well. Alright, a lot. But you handled it better than I ever could. You were honest and true to yourself. I fancied your mother for a very long time before anything ever happened, but my way of dealing with that was to get jealous of anybody who so much as looked at her.

"Anyway, my point is, I've always felt like we're similar. I've always wanted to be there for you, and guide you along, and to make sure you don't make the same stupid mistakes that I did. And you haven't, yet."

Hugo smiled. "So you're okay with me being… you know?"

"Never had a problem with it in the first place." Ron patted him on the shoulder. "You're still Hugo to me."

Hugo had just one more question, and it seemed that when he asked it, his father had been expecting it. His expression darkened.

"What happened to them?"

"They'll be serving a good, long time in Azkaban," he said. "Your mother insisted on working on that case, despite a conflict of interest, and she'll have help, too."

"From Scorpius' dad?" Hugo wanted to know.

The fact that Draco Malfoy worked closely with his wife, _and_ the fact that he was good at his job, had always annoyed Ron. He never wanted to admit that Malfoy was useful.

"Yes," Ron said bitterly. He then smiled. "We'll make sure they'll be put away for what they did to you. Nobody deserves to be punished for who they are; but some certainly deserve it for being filled with hatred."

Rose and Hermione returned after that, and the conversation changed to a lighter note; them discussing the cute boy Rose had just spotted on the below level.

Hugo couldn't help but smile. After everything that had happened to him, there was one thing that he was sure of.

He was never going to doubt his family's love for him again.

* * *

 _ **This idea has been lurking in my head for quite a while now, and when I saw this prompt, I was super inspired.  
**_

 _ **I hope you like it! If you'd like me to write you a story with any of your favourite pairings, PM me a list and also a list of prompts and I'll write it for you one of the months of this year (info on my profile). I look forward to hearing from you, and I write for anybody (even if we've never spoken before).**_


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